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Today I have a short story up, just over 1000 words, so some might call it flash fiction, some might not. Either way, “8:46 on a Wednesday” is in vol. 48 of The Emerson Review. You can read it online here:

Since I also write for children, I thought it might be helpful to mention this story is geared to the adult reader.

Here’s a humor piece I wrote, published by Emrys Journal Online via Medium, about over-the-top writer guidelines. If you write and submit to literary journals, this one is for you. Or if you like to laugh about the plight of writers, this one is for you. Or if you just really want to know all about the much-coveted writing life, click below.

Many, many people I meet tell me about their dreams to write a book, and if it's a book for children, I always refer them to SCBWI (Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators), an organization I've been a part of for several years. SCBWI is a global nonprofit organization, with local chapters, that encourages both professional and aspiring writers and illustrators to be informed, focus on craft, and find a critique group. Besides offering conferences and networking with people in the children's book industry, SCBWI also celebrates the books written and/or illustrated by its members.

SCBWI-Michigan, my local chapter, has many upcoming books to celebrate. Take a look at these books coming out this summer and fall. Thanks to Jodi McKay for the image.

Michigan has many authors and illustrators who are available and willing to speak at events. The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) has a nifty website to search for speakers, and the Michigan chapter put together this flyer to find authors and/or illustrators of children's books in specific areas of the state.

On December 18, 2016, I was at Book Beat near Detroit for book signings with Deborah Aronson and Amy Goldman Koss. Good thing I arrived a little early because this bookstore was packed full of all kinds of goodies (mostly books).

The three of us sat at an antique table surrounded by books and art and artifacts.

Today I am honoured to be featured on Deborah Diesen's blog, Jumping the Candlestick for Michigander Monday. Thank you Debbie, for hosting me, even though I'm not a born and raised Michigander. Read the post here. I loved Debbie's picture book THE POUT-POUT FISH, and she's got a new book out, CATCH A KISS.

We started Ripple Grove Press to bring beautiful and timeless books to life. But we also want to make a difference in the lives of children. So we are teaming up with the Children’s Book Bank (CBB) in Portland, OR to start a book donation drive called “The Ripple Effect.” We want to put a book in every young child's hands. The Children’s Book Bank makes that possible.

They reach low-income neighborhoods, where the ratio of books to children is one book for every 300 children, far below the ratio of 13 books per child in middle-income neighborhoods. The Children's Book Bank closes this book gap by gathering tens of thousands of new and gently-used books from the community each year and engaging hundreds of volunteers to help clean, sort, and distribute the books to low-income children, free of charge. Since 2008, The Children’s Book Bank has delivered over 510,000 books to over 41,000 local children in need, giving these kids tools to develop the language skills they need to become future readers, learners, and citizens. We want this reach to go as far as possible.

For every Ripple Grove Press book bought and sent to us for CBB in the month of March, we'll match it, and for every dozen new or used books donated (not an RGP book) we’ll add a new RGP book. Hardcover or softcover. One book or 100. We’ll find a new home for your books.

Today, I read SALAD PIE to a first grade class in Lorena, Texas for Read Across America. I showed them some of the snow from the big storm we had in Michigan yesterday. I only had a bowl of snow, so this picture is to show the snow outside.

Maggie and Herbert in the snow

Also, we talked about my cats, who couldn't be part of the video conference, so here they are: